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She also highlighted the role of regional cooperation initiatives and upcoming international labour standards.
How do artificial intelligence and automation impact the labour market? Which professions are at risk?
Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, is reshaping the labour market. According to analysis by the International Labour Organization (ILO), AI is more likely to enhance jobs rather than replace them entirely. By improving productivity and efficiency, AI can support workers in their tasks rather than making their roles obsolete.
While widespread job displacement is not expected in the near to mid-term, certain occupations are more vulnerable to automation. Jobs in call centres and administrative support, for example, face higher risks of displacement. However, because these losses are concentrated in specific sectors, they may not significantly impact overall employment figures. Research indicates that approximately 2% of jobs worldwide—and 5.1% in high-income countries—are at risk.
To navigate this transformation, it is essential to equip workers with new skills and provide opportunities for adaptation. Workers and employers should actively participate in shaping how AI is integrated into workplaces, ensuring that the benefits are shared while mitigating potential disruptions. Social dialogue—collaboration between governments, employers, and workers—is crucial for guiding a fair and smooth transition to an AI-driven economy.
Initiatives such as the ILO Global Coalition for Social Justice play a key role in fostering innovation, sharing best practices, and developing strategies that extend beyond national borders to promote equitable AI adoption. Additionally, the upcoming International Labour Conference in June will include discussions on “realizing decent work in the platform economy,” further addressing the evolving nature of work in the digital era.
What is your forecast for the global unemployment rate in 2025?
According to the ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2025 report, global unemployment remained at a historic low of 5% in 2024 and is expected to stay at this level in 2025. However, youth unemployment remains high at 12.6%, highlighting ongoing challenges for young people entering the workforce.
In Europe and Central Asia, unemployment is slightly above the global average, with the gender gap widening as more women join the labour market. While the rate of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET) remains higher for women, it has steadily declined to 13% in the region in 2024, continuing a decade-long downward trend.
Global economic growth slowed from 3.3% in 2023 to 3.2% in 2024, with further deceleration expected. This slowdown could impact job creation efforts, as the World Economic Outlook warns of continued economic stagnation.
Which sectors of the economy in Central Asia are the most promising for job creation?
Central Asian countries are increasingly investing in infrastructure to enhance regional and cross-border connectivity, creating significant employment opportunities. Beyond construction-related jobs, the expanding tourism industry and the rapidly growing IT sector are also driving job creation.
Agriculture, mining, and oil and gas remain the economic backbone of most countries in the region.
Despite their integration into the global economy, Central Asian countries face challenges in attracting investment and enhancing competitiveness. Structural reforms and greater stability can help unlock their economic potential.
Given these factors, key sectors for job creation include tourism, infrastructure and construction, energy, financial services and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In Kazakhstan, the mining of critical minerals also holds significant potential, supporting the global energy transition.
Exact job creation figures are uncertain, but trends point to growth in tourism, infrastructure, energy, financial services, ICT, and critical mineral mining in Kazakhstan.
What roles do regional cooperation initiatives (such as the EAEU and SCO) play in labour market development?
Regional cooperation initiatives can contribute to labour market development by fostering economic integration, facilitating labour mobility, and supporting policy coordination. By enhancing trade, investment, and infrastructure development, they create opportunities for job growth across sectors.
Where cooperation focuses on labour, there is greater potential to address key challenges ahead in the Europe and Central Asia region. Strengthening collaboration on employment policies and workforce development will be essential to ensuring that economic integration translates into inclusive and sustainable job creation.
What new international labour standards does the ILO plan to introduce in the coming years?
The ILO’s standard-setting agenda is set by its Governing Body, which selects items for discussion at the International Labour Conference. Typically, adopting a new standard requires debates at two consecutive Conferences, with simultaneous discussions in the same session being rare. The International Labour Conference ultimately decides the form of any adopted international labour standard.
The Governing Body has already scheduled standard-setting discussions for new international labour standards on protection against biological hazards in the working environment in 2025; decent work in the platform economy in 2026; and on the consolidation of instruments on chemical hazards in 2028.
Discussions on other potential standards are ongoing. Standard-setting on ergonomics, manual handling, and machinery guarding has been approved, but the Conference date is yet to be decided. Other topics are still being assessed for readiness and scheduling.
Earlier, Kazinform explored which industries are facing the greatest impact from generative AI and which ones are at the lowest risk of automation.